Called 3 dealerships $1000 to $1500 for tranny fluid change?

[Wild one]

Despite your ignorant posts, no RAM manual suggests such a thing.

Common sense has avoided you by the sounds of it.
He's speaking the truth,and if anybody is the ignorant one it's you bud.
ZF reconmends servicing the 8 speed between 50,000 and 80,000 miles or every 8 years if you haven't hit the milege numbers.You might want to believe the outfit who builds the transmission,more then the outfit that's trying to suck you into buying a new vehicle every 3 years.
Stellentis has no interest in helping you prolong the life of your vehicle,as that hurts their bottom dollar,while ZF is more interested in keeping their decent rep,and if they reconmend servicing the 8 speed,you should probably believe them more then what your crappy owners manual tells you.
Good thing the owners manual doesn't tell you to jump off a cliff,

 

[Wild one]

I just bought an AutoTechnica Aluminum Pan from RockAuto, which comes with a filter and gasket. I am filling it with the appropriate Amsoil fluid when I do mine. The pan was 91 bucks, and you can change the filter in it when the old one goes bad. That costs 47 dollars.

-Mike

Swap out the Amsoil for Valvolene Maxlife instead,Amsoil doesn't have the greatest of reps in the 8 speed.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Update: Local (non Ram dealership) garage that I trust changed the fluid today. I left the truck overnight with them & picked it up today. Taped the green instructions to the steering wheel so they couldn't miss it.

Drove the truck home (about a 15 minute moderate drive) and shifts were smooth. The guy who changed it said the old 56,000 mile fluid was fine ie not burnt or smelly or anything.

Side note: I picked up a new gasket from the parts counter at the Ram dealership and while I was there I asked if they did anything special to level the tranny during a transmission fluid change. He said "no, we just lift the truck up like normal." So this dealership probably has done lots of transmission changes the wrong way.

What were the instructions "instructing" them to do?

 

[Curmudgeon]

What were the instructions "instructing" them to do?

I believe he is referring to the "Green Sheet" that @Wild one acquired and shared a while back. He also re-posted it in this thread in Post #65.

 

[Wild one]

What were the instructions "instructing" them to do?

The Rams are the only application that uses the 8 speeds and points the transmission at a fairly severe downhill angle.
With the fill plug located towards the back of the transmission,if you don't level the transmission,it runs a bit low on fluid,compared to every other application that uses the 8 speed,and basically has the transmission sitting level in the chassis.
It becomes an issue if you run the truck hard,as it'll basically pump the sump dry in the upper rpms.
Those are the instructions that come with a brand new truck specific 8 speed when bought through the dealer.
The generic instructions for servicing the 8 speed are geared towards the other applications that already have the transmission basically sitting level,and generally don't specify to level the transmission

 

[Gwerner74]

I believe he is referring to the "Green Sheet" that @Wild one acquired and shared a while back. He also re-posted it in this thread in Post #65.

View attachment 574944

I understand from reading through this thread that this green sheet is for the 8 speeds, any special instructions like this needed for the 66RFE?

 

[White six four]

any special instructions like this needed for the 66RFE?

Nope

 

[Sherman Bird]

Nope

Just be sure that Jupiter is in retrograde to Mars!

 

[G-Ride990]

Just be sure that Jupiter is in retrograde to Mars!

HAHAHA Not this again (not from you) I saw this topic many, many times from many years ago.

 

[Sherman Bird]

HAHAHA Not this again (not from you) I just saw this topic many, many times a few years ago.

I get tickled how doing maintenance to a car/truck is more fussy than a sophisticated shave! "Remember When?" still means something!

 

[Grams]

THis is how to interpret the “Lifetime” fluid in transmissions:

If and When the Original Fluid is left in the transmission, without change, to the point that the Transmission Dies….. THAT was the “Lifetime” of both.

Changing it at the minimum of 100K miles is my personal practice because I only “occasionally” tow with it.

However, if I towed frequently…or regularly towed heavy trailers….I’d cut that in Half and change it at 50K miles.

Same with axles/differentials.

Frequent changes are simple and cheap. Using an “evacuator” down the dipstick tube (if so equipped) …or opening the drain plug on the pan…. change the fluid Even If the Filter is not changed. But change both at 100K.

Just my 2-cents.

 

[Gwerner74]

THis is how to interpret the “Lifetime” fluid in transmissions:

If and When the Original Fluid is left in the transmission, without change, to the point that the Transmission Dies….. THAT was the “Lifetime” of both.

Changing it at the minimum of 100K miles is my personal practice because I only “occasionally” tow with it.

However, if I towed frequently…or regularly towed heavy trailers….I’d cut that in Half and change it at 50K miles.

Same with axles/differentials.

Frequent changes are simple and cheap. Using an “evacuator” down the dipstick tube (if so equipped) …or opening the drain plug on the pan…. change the fluid Even If the Filter is not changed. But change both at 100K.

Just my 2-cents.

I agree with your 2-cents, the peace of mind alone is worth it. I was at a local shop today getting an estimate for some other work, and I asked them to add the trans fluid and filter change to the estimate since I'm at 127K miles and owners manual says to do it at 120K. I figured it's already on the lift, I'd let them deal with the mess. Weirdly he tried talking me out of it, saying it's better on the 66RFE to leave the fluid alone unless it looks burnt. I've never had a mechanic try and turn down money on such a basic procedure.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I agree with your 2-cents, the peace of mind alone is worth it. I was at a local shop today getting an estimate for some other work, and I asked them to add the trans fluid and filter change to the estimate since I'm at 127K miles and owners manual says to do it at 120K. I figured it's already on the lift, I'd let them deal with the mess. Weirdly he tried talking me out of it, saying it's better on the 66RFE to leave the fluid alone unless it looks burnt. I've never had a mechanic try and turn down money on such a basic procedure.

Even mechanics are guilty of conclusion bias. Change the damned fluid somewhere else and let the idjit mechanic have a severe case of myopia!

 

[Grams]

I agree with your 2-cents, the peace of mind alone is worth it. I was at a local shop today getting an estimate for some other work, and I asked them to add the trans fluid and filter change to the estimate since I'm at 127K miles and owners manual says to do it at 120K. I figured it's already on the lift, I'd let them deal with the mess. Weirdly he tried talking me out of it, saying it's better on the 66RFE to leave the fluid alone unless it looks burnt. I've never had a mechanic try and turn down money on such a basic procedure.

THAT is poor advice he gave you for certain.

If the fluid appears “burnt”….. it’s, well, BURNT! and too late.

In decades-past, it was commonly advised to Either Change ATF frequently…or Never.
The logic (back then) was that if the ATF is frequently changed the mechanisms and seals would remain clean and soft/pliable. However, if the fluid was NOT changed regularly…. then “leave it alone”… as the seals will have become hard and deposits will have filled-the-spaces to allow the tranny to keep working as presently.

In 1988 I had the shop change the ATF in my 180K mile 1978 Ford F150 with C6 transmission. Within the week that transmission began slipping and failing to shift. It required rebuilding. The Transmission shop told me “Yeah, you should have been changing it every 50K miles….or left it alone.”

My lesson was learned. Ever since, I change it every 100K and never had any more transmission problems. (I keep cars ‘til I wreck ‘em. 250K - 330K is typical for me.)

Hope this helps others.

 

[Gwerner74]

In decades-past, it was commonly advised to Either Change ATF frequently…or Never.
The logic (back then) was that if the ATF is frequently changed the mechanisms and seals would remain clean and soft/pliable. However, if the fluid was NOT changed regularly…. then “leave it alone”… as the seals will have become hard and deposits will have filled-the-spaces to allow the tranny to keep working as presently.

Yep, that was pretty much the position he was taking. I'm going to find another shop to get the job done or just suck it up and do it myself in the driveway.

 

[Maverik259]

Love that this hasn’t changed across manufactures. I have the same transmission in my BMW M5 and X7 and a large reason why I chose Ram over ford. That 10 speed is garbage and ZF is the best around. however bmw also calls it a “lifetime” fluid and changing it is not on bmw service interval. However NOBODY follows that and thus I change it always around 50-60k miles based on how I drive. I also only use ZFs fluid.

I’m curious if the transmission is a straight up ZF or some hybrid that Mopar customized. I’m hoping it’s straight up ZF because I can source an aluminum pan that adds about another QT of fluid with the added bonus of better cooling.

 

[Wild one]

Love that this hasn’t changed across manufactures. I have the same transmission in my BMW M5 and X7 and a large reason why I chose Ram over ford. That 10 speed is garbage and ZF is the best around. however bmw also calls it a “lifetime” fluid and changing it is not on bmw service interval. However NOBODY follows that and thus I change it always around 50-60k miles based on how I drive. I also only use ZFs fluid.

I’m curious if the transmission is a straight up ZF or some hybrid that Mopar customized. I’m hoping it’s straight up ZF because I can source an aluminum pan that adds about another QT of fluid with the added bonus of better cooling.

The little 845 behind the Pentastar V6's is a Stellentis built 8 speed,but the 8HP70 / 8HP75 / 8HP90 and 8HP95 used behind the hemi's are all built by ZF. The 90 and 95 are only used behind the supercharged 6.2 Hellcat Hemi's,the 70 and 75 are used behind the naturally aspirated 5.7 and 6.4's

 

[DILLIGAF]

Only a f***!ng retard would say this should be left alone. This is at 85xxxkm, and its already building up sludge.

PPE pan, Maxlife , Custom Tune and a Zip Kit is a must if you plan on keeping your truck.